Inside
by brown is warm
Summary: AU. Under the glare of the full moon, he transforms, howling and crying out into the hollow night. One girl tries to help him figure out how he came to be this way. InuKag MirSan
1. Bullet

A/N: Chapter 1 for ya, I hope you enjoy it! Chapter 2 is in the works. The following chapters should be longer than this one.

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Chapter 1-Boo Boo

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He growled, a low rumble rolling from the pit of his chest and up through the length of his clenched fangs.

His silver eyes roamed the forest surrounding him, searching for the source of the human scent. The light of the full moon drowned him, illuminated him. The fur on the back of his thick neck stood on end as something moved in the corner of his eye.

He turned, ferociously snarling at the man, a hunter, no doubt. The giant beast pounced, but before he could land on the prey, it quickly pointed a long, metal tube at him. A loud bang echoed through the trees, and at that very moment something hard and warm tunneled through the beast's left shoulder, retiring cleanly through his back.

Howling in pain, he fell to the ground, mere seconds after the hunter dodged his landing.

With one horrified, more close-up look at the writhing black monster, the hunter ran away, trembling with fear. The animal tensed and relaxed repeatedly, convulsing as he continued to whimper and yelp. His fur became sticky with red liquid, and the snow beneath him quickly became tainted with his own blood.

The silver eyes slowly lidded, and he let his consciousness slip into darkness.

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What seemed like minutes of sleep turned out to be hours as the orange sun crept over the horizon.

Rays of shimmering light shone in through the trees, and Inuyasha awoke wearily.

His eyes opened, blinking repeatedly. They spryly changed from cold metal to warm gold as the hanyou observed his surroundings. He hastily put his nose in the air, sniffing it.

"Heh, not as far from the house this morning as the last time," he mumbled to himself.

As he moved to sit up, a searing pain coursed through his whole body.

He let out a hiss of agony, looking down at himself. His bare chest was covered in a fresh layer of blood. Underneath was dry, crusted crimson. He winced as he registered the gaping hole in his shoulder, the source of his anguish. The wound throbbed horribly as he forced himself to get up.

He shook from the cold air that surrounded him. He looked down at his bare feet. They were a shockingly bold blue color against the pure white of the snow beneath them.

His wound throbbed unbearably again, and his face contorted with pain. _'Must…get…home…' _he thought, firmly determined. His feet felt impossibly numb as he swiftly ran through the forest, attempting to ignore the voice in his head that told him running wouldn't be good for his injury. All that mattered now was getting home.

Finally he spotted it: a large, wooden cabin not far in the distance.

Picking up the pace, Inuyasha cringed as he felt the hole stretch and tear, rejecting his newfound speed. At last he collapsed onto the front porch, his hands coming down to catch him, balling into fists. He crushed the frosty white flakes between his fingers, his teeth gritting to hold in his cry of pain.

Again he forced himself to stand, keeping his breathing as calm as possible to slow his racing heart. Even in his hanyou state, he was in a lot of trouble.

He opened the front door, stepped inside, and shut it before stumbling into the warm confines of his living room. As he slumped onto his long, velvety couch, Inuyasha began contemplating what to do next.

'_Okay, I've got a blood-soaked peephole in my shoulder,' _he mentally stated. He had no medical supplies here at the house. Normally he would be more careful than this. He wouldn't let that monstrous side of him control him. But the moment he'd caught that madcap's scent, he was too shocked to continue concentrating on his self-control.

No one _ever_ came into these woods.

_Ever_.

Why would they?

It was so far out along the highway that the closest things to him were merely passing cars. Maybe he'd wandered to close to the city. After all, the trees did wind all the way down to Port Lully. Perhaps that was why this had all happened…

His face twisted in agony as a large gush of blood discharged from the burning cavern, leaving a nasty stain on the cushions of the couch. Inuyasha felt a twinge of indignation. "If I ever find that son of a bitch, _his_ blood will ruin his _couch_…" he muttered angrily, sitting himself up.

There was only one way he would be able to fix the damage in his left shoulder.

He needed bandages.

He needed medicine.

Inuyasha stood hastily, clutching his shoulder with his right hand. It quivered painfully then, protesting his movements. "And some fucking pain pills, too," he added aloud through gritted teeth.

He knew what he had to do. His eyes found the clock: 6:15 in the morning. The hospital should be open in at least an hour.

He didn't want to do it; it could mean terrible things if he was seen or recognized. For three years now he'd been securely hidden away from everyone. This little mishap could uncover him, unveil him to the ones he'd wanted to stay hidden _from_. But he knew if he didn't get what he needed, he would surly die. Never before had he obtained such a severe wound. His body wouldn't be able to fix this on it's own…

The injured hanyou straightened his back and walked towards the staircase. He needed clothes. He wasn't about to walk into town stark naked. As if his long milky locks wouldn't draw enough attention to him already.

He felt a small pang of excitement at the idea that he was going into town again for the first time in three years. As he climbed the winding stairs, he wondered if it would still be as he remembered it.


	2. Connect

A/N: I'm in a really good mood. I like how this chapter turned out, it's rolling along pretty nicely. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Chapter 2 - Bang & Bump

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_That same day, 13 hours later..._

Her hand scribbled vigorously along the lines of her notebook. It felt sore now. But she had to get her essay done tonight.

She mentally kicked herself for leaving it so late. Her right hand came up to cup her chin. It had been nearly four hours since Kagome Higurashi had sat in her chair and set to work, thankful for the peace and quiet of her bedroom.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. She shut her eyes in irritation, her concentration completely broken as the young girl stood and walked towards it. She pulled on the handle to reveal a small boy staring up at her.

"Yes, Souta?" Kagome huffed, tapping her foot against the floor. Souta blinked, before answering her in a rush. "M-my bike, I was riding it and I ran into a big crack on the sidewalk just down the road. Could you help me pull it free?"

Kagome sighed. If anything annoyed the hell out of her more than homework, it was her brother. "Please?" Souta quickly added, widening his bubbly eyes.

Kagome opened her mouth, looking upwards. "Alright," she finally decided, smiling down at him.

The cool evening breeze tickled her face as she stepped outside a few moments later. The snow was almost completely melted., but the girl still shivered. Her eyes carefully watched the steps as she pottered down them, following her younger brother.

"You shouldn't be out alone riding your bike at this hour anyway, Souta," she warned as they neared the sidewalk below the steep staircase. Souta scowled. "Come _on_, sis. I'm twelve years old."

"I know, but there was a warning on the news this morning. A hunter was in the woods last night. Apparently he saw a giant animal. Probably just a bear, I know," she defended before Souta could tell her what the hunter had obviously seen. "But he'd said it wasn't like that at all. More like a wolf, apparently."

"Whatever. As if something like that would come into town," Souta said as they reached the stuck bicycle. Kagome made a face as she placed her hands firmly on her hips. The front tire was tightly wedged into a deep crack, undoubtedly flat. "Okay, let's give this a try..." the young girl said slowly, bending over the contraption. A few fierce tugs and strained muscles later, she finally pulled it free. "There," she wheezed triumphantly, wheeling it to her younger brother. He grinned with appreciation as he took the handlebars. "Thanks, sis!"

Kagome smiled warmly down at him before turning on her heel. "Now, I've got to get my homework done or Mr. Soshi will have my head on a silver platter tomorrow morning," she called back to him as she made her way back to the tall staircase.

Souta hopped onto his bike. "I'll be in soon."

The older sibling reached the steps, climbing them carefully as the sound of her brother's bicycle tires against the pavement reached her ears. The top drew closer. 'Ugh...I've got so much left to do...' she thought bitterly. 'Homework is such a pain...'

Her foot lifted to touch the last step at the top of the staircase.

It all happened very quickly then.

A very sudden, almost deafening screeching sound came from behind her, followed immediately by a loud BANG.

Kagome turned around in a heartbeat, her stomach dropping sickeningly. _'Please don't let it be-'_

Her frightened eyes fell upon a young boy splayed across the hood of a green car. His bike lay mangled and twisted on the ground. "NO!" Kagome cried, tears welling up fast in her eyes.

A young woman scrambled out of the car, staring in shock at what lay upon it, motionless.

"SOUTA!" his sister screamed, her face squishing up with pain. She flew back down the steps, two at a time.

The woman pulled out her cell phone, still unable to tear her eyes away from the boy. She suddenly turned to Kagome. "I-I dropped m-my sunglasses...they fell off, a-and..."

she trailed off as Kagome rushed to Souta's side, maneuvering him into her trembling arms. "Call an ambulance! NOW!" she shakily yelled.

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_7:00am - approx. 12 hours earlier..._

Inuyasha bumped and bounced in his truck along the rocks and roots of the path. A slender white cigarette was protruding from his lips, long puffs of gray smoke flowing out of his flaring nostrils.

He kept one hand on the wheel as his other one reached over to roll his window down. The pain was growing in strength by the minute. He found himself wincing frequently. He had his jacket zipped up all the way to his chin, concealing the wide hole in his shoulder quite well. But the hanyou knew it would only be a matter of time before the blood stained through. His foot pressed a little harder on the gas pedal.

Finally he saw the clearing. The distinct sound of passing cars reached his ears, which were cautiously flicking in every direction.

His tires quietly squeaked to a halt as the hood of the truck peeked out onto the side of the highway. A few cars passed, flashing by too quickly to notice him. Once the road was clear he slammed on the gas and flew out onto the highway.

The sky was a perfect blue-green, with not a single cloud. Large patches of brown were scattered all over the place. The morning sun had done a decent job of melting away the snow since earlier that morning.

Fresh bursts of wind beat across Inuyasha's features through the open window. It felt good, to be in a somewhat familiar place.

He and his family used to take this highway to get to a distant campsite, more than twenty kilometers away. When they'd all been together, they'd lived in a rather large brick house about one hundred and fifty miles out of town. It was too big for Inuyasha's taste anyway, now that he thought about it. Leaving there hadn't been as painful as he had expected it to be. When he'd realized how dangerous he truly was, he'd tried to scrape up enough money for a plane ticket to get as far away from everyone as he could manage, but it had been impossible.

A job hadn't worked; it took too much time and he'd needed seclusion as soon as possible. He hadn't dared ask for money from his parents. They would've instantly suspected that something was going on, and he couldn't have afforded to have them on his back, watching him all the time. They would have hated him, feared him.

Yes, the majority of his family may have cared for him, but that couldn't extinguish the constant terror.

Majority.

Indeed.

His mother loved him. He was sure of that. His father certainly had expressed the fatherly affections required for a peaceful household, and that had been enough.

Then there was _him_.

That loathing, rotten, self-absorbed, pissy piece of junk. The hanyou's blood boiled with burning rage as he recalled his that son of a bitch.

_'Filthy half-breed. Your mother is pathetic.'_

_'The mere sight of you is enough to make me want to swallow a dragon-fly.'_

_'You never should have been born, hanyou. You're useless, just like your mother.' _

He didn't miss _him_ much.

His half-brother, Sesshomaru, despised Inuyasha. For his half-human, half-demon nature. It was despicable.

Sesshomaru lived with his mother in Europe. Occasionally, to Inuyasha's horror, he would visit his father and half-family for about a month with his mother's regards. The treatment Inuyasha had endured from Sesshomaru was merciless. When he was a kid Sesshomaru would practically beat him when they were left alone. Then Inuyasha got older, and far stronger. Eventually he was quite capable of defending himself against that haunting, pale fist.

It was incredible the amount of relief the hanyou felt when the visit ended. Only then he would be left to worry when Sesshomaru would come to call next. He was like a walking, breathing hell.

The hanyou rolled his eyes automatically as he thought of his past. What a waste of space in his mind. Now was not the time to turn his attention to recalling bad memories. He had to focus on the task at hand. He was putting himself in the line of fire doing this. He damned that hunter to hell a thousand times.

His stomach groaned almost painfully as he passed a small Bed & Breakfast that sat sullen on the side of the road. Food was now another priority. The stuff in his refrigerator was running low in quantity...he'd noticed his appetite had grown in strength ever since this had happened to him.

At last the towering buildings and skyscrapers climbed into view over the hill. A trickle of apprehension wove its way down his spine, and Inuyasha gulped noisily. This was serious business. He had a serious injury. His face twisted as another wave of hurt washed over him. He hoped he would find all he needed to fix himself up.

Obtaining the medical supplies would be as easy as one, two, three. But getting in _and_ out of town unnoticed was going to be tricky.

_'Be casual, don't draw attention to yourself, be casual...'_ he chanted like a mantra in his head. His black baseball cap sat dutifully on the top of his snowy crown, discreetly masking his fluffy dog-ears. "Now I just look like some wacko teenager who went a little crazy with the hair dye…" he thought, laughing at himself. As if he's ever touch that repulsively scented poison.

The truck's tires rolled swiftly along the pavement as the hanyou pulled into town, his mental chanting unwavering.

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A/N: Voila, C'est le fin du chapitre 2! Alas, I think my French is going a little stale...


	3. The Pocket Watch

A/N: The question of what Inuyasha's whole problem is (about going into to town, not being in contact by anyone in three years, tuning into a giant animal, etc) will be answered, eventually, but rest assured! It will all be explained thoroughly in future chapters, but for now, I'm sticking with the little annoying hints.

Now, I obey you to read!

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Chapter 3 - The Pocket-Watch

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A brick red truck crawled into the General Hospital parking lot, coming to a silent stop. A young man with a tightly zipped-up jacket stepped out, shoving his hands into his deep pockets to shelter them from the cold. His curtain of soft, white hair rested flat on his back as he turned and tugged his cap harder against his head.

The automatic doors slid open for Inuyasha and he stepped into the porch. His heart felt like it was beating at least ten times faster than it beat normally. He tapped his feet lightly on the long black mat beneath him as he walked, shaking the thick slush from his boots off.

He made a left turn then, finding himself in the waiting room. His body shook slightly with relief when he saw only a woman and her baby sitting in one of the chairs near the back of the room.

"Can I help you, Sir?" the woman at the desk straight ahead asked, standing on the tips of her toes to see over the piles of papers and files and binders splayed out around her. The hanyou casually walked over to her, smiling handsomely. His eyes fruitfully found her nametag placed just below the right side of her collarbone.

"Yes...Nadoko," he purred. He hoped she would pay more attention to the charm rather than his strange appearance. The last thing he needed was for her to recognize him from one of the 'Missing' flyers...

"I have an appointment with Doctor Suiyo? ..."

"Oh, yes!" she said after a moment. Her hands began digging through the papers until she found a clipboard. Her index finger ran down the side of it until she found whatever she was looking for. "Tsusi, Hodoku?" she asked, looking up.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, that'd be me," he grinned widely, revealing a pair of pearly white fangs. Nadoko appeared slightly in awe for a moment before bringing her eyes back to his golden ones. "Yes, he'll be with you in about ten minutes, Mr. Tsusi. Just take a seat there"

"Thank you."

He did as he was instructed and picked a seat against the wall next to the wide window. He eyed the mother and baby sitting quietly in the room with him. Would she know what he was planning on doing?

The pastel-pink door to the Doctor's offices and storage rooms was straight ahead. From where she was sitting, there was no way she would be able to see him once he was in there unless she stood and purposefully took a peek.

As he thought through his plan, he realized that whoever saw him didn't matter anyway. He would be out of there in a flash. After all, he _was_ about to steal from a public Hospital. It wasn't exactly something he was proud of, but the bullet-wound in his shoulder could wait no longer. What was he supposed to do? This was his only chance for survival. If theft was something he had to bring himself low enough to do, then so be it. He would thank himself for doing this later...

The hospital assistant suddenly piled a few papers into her arms and vanished through a near-by door. Now was his chance.

Without a second glance towards the woman and baby, Inuyasha sprang to his feet and strolled purposefully towards the pink door. He could feel her eyes on his back but remained focused on the task at hand. _'Get in get out, get in get out, get in get out...'_

He looked cautiously through the window of the door when he reached it, peering in at the long, slightly darkened hallway with multiple doors on each side. His eyes concentrated on each of their labels until he found the one marked 'Medical Supplies'.

In two seconds he'd opened the door with ease and shut it firmly behind him, striding over to the green door he prayed wasn't locked. The hanyou reached it and nearly fell over with relief when the handle turned smoothly beneath his fingers, revealing a broad room stuffed with endless rows of shelves. It didn't take him long to locate the things he desperately needed; Alcohol, bandages, a stitching kit, cotton-ball swabs, and of course those pain pills.

He shoved all the items roughly into his pockets, when he noticed with horror that his blood had finally stained through. A quickly growing spot of dark red was seeping through his creamy colored cotton jacket.

He cursed loudly. It was time to go.

Inuyasha raced out of the room at a speed no human could match. As he shut the door, he turned in the direction of the hallway entrance only to be met by a man in a long white coat nibbling on a donut.

The hanyou froze in place from the sudden shock of being caught, and he directed his eyes slowly to the man's face, but nothing could prepare him for the utter disbelief that came next.

Recognition flooded through his features, and the donut man mirrored it back to him, ceasing his nibbling. Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The donut man managed to find his voice, his deep, stormy-purple eyes unblinking as he spoke. 'In... Inuyash-"

'Inuyash' zoomed past him to the entrance to the hallway, leaving the pink door open behind him. In a heartbeat he was back in his truck, not bothering to put on his seat belt as his keys stabbed the engine to life. The quickly setting sun enveloped him in golden light as he flew out of the parking lot before blaring back onto the road, water flying everywhere behind his back wheels.

Pretty soon he was back on the highway, too, shaking with a cold, piercing feeling he'd never felt before. He was genuinely shocked that his heart hadn't flown out through his mouth yet. He wanted to literally kick the shit out of himself.

One face loomed very clearly in the focus of his mind now.

"Miroku..." Inuyasha ground out.

He'd been seen. By none other than his best friend. His best friend whom he hadn't seen for three years. So, technically, it was his former best friend. But none the less, Inuyasha was in serious trouble now.

Would Miroku go to the police and tell them that he'd found the one who'd been missing for all these years now? Would he tell Inuyasha's parents? What had he been doing in that Hospital anyway? From the way he was dressed, Inuyasha wildly thought for a moment that he was a Doctor there.

_'Impossible,'_ he thought now, full of doubt._ 'Miroku Houshi, a Doctor at fucking nineteen years old? Whatever happened to us being free, back-packing through New Zealand and playing shows at The Monty Brazzy?!' _

A heavy sadness that almost hurt him more than his flesh wound did dropped on top of him like a falling grand piano.

_This_ had happened...

Inuyasha was at the point where he thought how much better his door window would look smashed into pieces in his lap when he remembered that he already had one open wound to tend to. He didn't need a bleeding hand to take care of, too.

"Damn it!" he bellowed, crashing his fist against the steering wheel, earning a loud beep of the horn in response.

_'Calm down, calm down, calm down...'_ his mind urgently whispered. His claws dug into the steering wheel, each hand shaking violently. He needed to stop the truck.

The Bed & Breakfast came into view, and the hanyou couldn't control himself when he lurched into its small parking lot, finding a spot behind a tree that shielded him from the accommodation windows. His fists slammed against the dashboard, actually causing the still-running motor to stutter briefly.

"Damn it damn it DAMN IT!" his hands raised and crashed down again. He was breathing like he'd just _run_ to town and back. He'd never felt this angry in a long time. It was like there was growing fire in the pit of his stomach, and he didn't care how big it got. It felt... refreshing... a bittersweet change from his usual complete lack of any emotion at all.

Adrenaline was rushing through his veins, and he could feel it. He could practically smell his anger... taste it. His teeth were grinding so hard together it was a wonder that they didn't shatter.

_'How could this have happened?!' _

His temper was making his heart pound a mile a minute, which made his blood move at an alarming speed. He suddenly felt a sharp stinging sensation in his left shoulder.

He bit back a yelp before he looked down at the large flow of blood gushing out through his jacket. He thought maybe he'd torn it open when he'd raised his arms to hit the dashboard. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes, trying to calm himself. His heart needed to slow down or he would die right then and there of blood loss.

He now thought of the only thing that would cool his temper right about now. His father's pocket-watch.

His father had given it to him for his tenth birthday. Ever since then, it had stayed with Inuyasha. Wherever he went, it lay safely in his pant pocket. Even when he'd run away, he'd taken it with him. It was his most treasured possession, and no matter how angry he'd ever gotten it always managed to sooth him almost instantly when he held it in his hand.

Automatically, his hand slipped inside his pocket, the tips of his fingers reaching for the cold metal. They dug deep, and reached the bottom.

The hanyou's eyes shot open.

His fingers urgently searched the area of the pocket, finding nothing. He looked around his feet, searching the floor of the truck. Checked his seat. Checked his other pockets. It was nowhere.

He started to shake again. Only this time it was from the dense shock that tingled down his spine. Tiny dots scattered across his vision, and it was a long moment before he realized he wasn't breathing. He slowly inhaled, holding it for a second and then letting it out. He blinked rapidly, forcing the dots out from his eyes. Finally he was calm enough to form a thought. _'Where the _fuck_ is my father's pocket-watch...'_

He remembered he'd had in when he'd left the house, he'd also had it when he'd gotten into his truck...he was pretty sure he'd felt it pressed against his thigh the whole way to town...

His heart gave a sickening lurch. The hospital. He must've dropped it at some point when he'd been in the hospital. Panic started to seep out from somewhere in his throat, but he firmly pushed it back down. He had to go back and get it before some sick little runt picked it up or something.

His bullet-wound was just going to have to wait a little longer. He wondered momentarily how long he'd been sitting in this parking lot...

With the engine still running, he put his truck in reverse and backed out, but instead of turning in the direction of home, he slammed on the gas and blasted back towards town and out of sight.

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"Is he going to be okay?"

"He has multiple fractured bones in his right leg and a concussion, but yes, he'll be perfectly fine, Ms. Higurashi."

Both Ms. Higurashi and her daughter breathed a sigh of relief after the doctor finished speaking. They'd been standing outside the emergency room where Souta was being kept for nearly an hour now. Kagome felt her nerves relax when she realized he really would be fine. But had she gotten one hell of a fright.

"You should both take a seat in the waiting room, you look exhausted. I can assure you-" he looked at Kagome's mother over his glasses intently. She was more reassured when the doctor said that her son would be fine, but she still wore a pained look on her worried face. "-that he'll be up and walking by tomorrow afternoon. Not without a cast and crutches, of course."

Her mother nodded and smiled slightly at the doctor. "Thank you, I think I do need to sit down. Please come and get us when he wakes?"

The Doctor nodded and turned to walk back into Souta's hospital room. Kagome caught a glimpse of her little brother splayed across the white bed, undoubtedly unconscious. She waved to him anyway, wishing he would open his eyes and wave enthusiastically back. But he just disappeared behind the door as it shut quietly behind the Doctor.

The girl dropped her hand sadly and turned to her mom. "Come on, mom. We'll wait in the waiting room like he said."

They were sitting down a few minutes later. A woman and her baby sat a few seats beside them. She was clinging to her baby tightly, and it gave Kagome the impression that she was protecting it. She was also staring in the direction of the exit, a look of fading alarm on her face.

Kagome took her mother's hand, knowing how unnecessarily worried she was. Ms. Higurashi looked down at her daughter appreciatively and squeezed her hand lightly.

Suddenly a door to their left opened, revealing another Doctor. Kagome frowned when she noticed that the look on his face resembled the one of that woman.

Shaken... alarmed.

The man chewed slowly on a donut as he walked, staring at the floor the whole time. The door from which he'd come shut with a click behind him before he vanished out of her line of view down another hallway.

_'Weird...'_ she thought, curious. Her mother didn't seem to notice.

Kagome slumped in her seat, bringing her free hand up to cup her chin. Her eyes trailed along the pink marble floor, counting each tile. They stopped suddenly when she noticed something glimmering in her peripheral vision. She lowered her head to see underneath the chair directly in front of her, right next to the window.

She realized it was one of those old antique pocket-watches, slender chain and all.

It was very pretty, with small indented details all around the rim. Why would someone leave something as pretty as that here in a public waiting room where anyone could snatch it up? The good-natured teenager bent over and reached underneath the chair, grasping the chain and tugging the whole thing up and into her lap. Her mother turned her head and peered down at the watch. "Oh, what have you got there, dear?"

"A pocket-watch, it was under that seat," Kagome chirped as her fingers traced the golden rim gently. She stood after a moment of her and her mom just staring at it, tucking into the inside pocket of her jacket. "I'll go bring it up to the desk and see if they have a Lost & Found."

She made her way through the chairs and walked towards the main desk, but before she could reach it, the Doctor dealing with Souta came through the emergency room doors. "He's awake now," he stated happily, looking to Kagome and then to her mother.

"You can both go in and see him if you'd like."

Ms. Higurashi was already walking to Kagome's side as he said this, and she smiled gratefully to him.

"Come on," she breathed with relief to Kagome before speed walking back through the emergency entrance.

The girl eagerly followed, completely forgetting about the watch resting in her pocket, and thoroughly unaware that a rather peeved hanyou was on his way back to retrieve it.

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A/N: Well well well, looks like we have one pissed off Inuyasha and one forgetful Kagome on our hands. Sorry if this took too long to update, and I'm not going to make any stupid excuses, but I will say that I'm starting High School in… less than a month?! Well, you might be able to tell that I'm flat out panicking. Hopefully it won't be as bad as I think it'll be, but then again, with my luck it'll probably be worse.

Hope you liked this chapter, things are finally rolling into place, wouldn't you say?


	4. Nuisance

A/N: Hurrah, Chapter 4 is here! I like this chap, I know it's bound to disappoint a lot of you (and you'll see why when you're done). But it's just the way my story is flowing. _It_ will happen, obviously. I can practically guarantee it for the next chapter, so don't think I'm going Inuyasha/Souta ship on you! Haha, like I said, you'll see why...

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Chapter 4 - Nuisance

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"Souta?"

"..."

"Souta, Hun, wake up..."

"...Nhg...Mom..."

"Yes. Kagome is here, too."

Slowly, the groggy boy stirred and opened his eyes, blinking furiously. His mother dashed to his side and kneeled beside his bed. "Oh, Hun, I was so worried about you!" she exclaimed, taking his hand in hers.

His older sister smiled and peered down at him from behind her mother. His vision seemed to fully return as his eyes went wide. Ms. Higurashi and Kagome braced themselves for the hysteria they knew was coming.

"Mom!" Souta cried, before a wide ear-to-ear grin spread across his face. "I got hit by a car! That is _so_ cool!"

"Souta!" his mother and sister scolded simultaneously.

"Everyone at school is going to think I'm cool now!"

Kagome looked at him incredulously. "Your leg is practically broken! You had a _concussion_!"

Souta beamed cheerfully. "Battle scars, awesome!"

"_Battle scars?_ What are you talking about! You were being an idiot riding your bike in the middle of the street!"

"I was not!" Souta spat, glancing at his mother.

"Don't lie! I already told mom everything."

"I wasn't...well...okay, maybe I _was_-"

Suddenly the Doctor came in the small room, holding a clipboard. "How are you feeling, meh'boy?" he asked cheerfully. He took the black, four-wheeled stool from over in the corner of the room and rolled it to the other side of the bed. "Any pain anywhere?" he elaborated, taking a seat.

Souta nodded, frowning. "Actually, my right leg is starting to hurt a lot."

"Yes, you're going to be in a cast and walking on crutches for a few weeks, but you should be able to go back to school within the next few days. How about your head? Any headaches? Problems with your eye-sight?"

"Not really, s'just a little tender," the boy replied as he pressed a hand against his thick black hair.

"Good, good..." the gray-haired Doctor nodded and scribbled on his clipboard. "Well," he said before looking to Ms. Higurashi. "Like I said he'll be out of here by tomorrow afternoon. Everything appears to be as normal as possible. We'll be putting on the cast tonight-" he checked his watch suddenly. "-Oh! Actually, we'll be doing that right now."

As he said this, the door opened and a rather young looking Doctor stepped inside, rolling a wheelchair before him. He had inky, midnight hair, tied up in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. He smiled warmly to Kagome and her mother, and Kagome swore she saw his eyebrows wiggle when he looked at her. Suddenly she recognized him as the pained-looking Doctor she'd seen earlier.

"Higurashi's, this is Miroku Houshi. He's an intern here at the hospital. He'll be helping me with Souta," their Doctor introduced them.

"How do you do?" Miroku asked Ms. Higurashi with a smooth, masculine charm that raised Kagome's eyebrow. He turned to her then, stepping around the wheelchair and taking her hand in his own, bringing it to his lips.

The girl froze, embarrassed out of her wits. She was sure she must've resembled a tomato.

Her mother stared at them, and then to the other Doctor. He shrugged indifferently. "Now, it would probably be best if you two ladies went home for the night. We'll be running a few tests tomorrow morning..." he continued informing the older woman as the intern released Kagome's hand. Her eyes narrowed and she wanted to growl at this pompous stranger who had the nerve to be such a creep!

"...And that's that!" he finished. Kagome hadn't even been listening. She was glaring too hard at this Miroku.

"Thank you. We'll be back tomorrow, then," she heard her mother's reply. "You'll be alright here by yourself for the night, right Souta?" This caught the girl's attention.

"Yeah, of course. Don't worry about me, mom. I'm tough!" the twelve-year-old held up his bruised arm and curved it, flexing the muscle.

Or lack thereof.

What he didn't know was how tender his bruises were. He immediately straightened his arm, yelping in pain. "Ow, ow, ow, ow..."

Kagome tried to suppress a laugh, failing miserably. Her mother shot her a deathly glare but quickly returned to her son's side, kissing him on the forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart," she cooed. Souta lifted his arms, straight as rulers, and embraced her. Sort of.

"Nighty night, tough guy," Kagome blew him a kiss as she turned and stepped around Miroku, giving him one last evil stare before leaving the room. Her mother followed behind after a moment.

"I'm so tired, I don't know if I'm going to be able to drive," the older woman sighed heavily as they walked down to the exit.

Kagome perked up immediately. "You know, mom...I could drive us home, if you want."

"You know, Hun, that wouldn't be such a bad idea-"

The girl's eyes widened in hope.

"-if you had a license."

_'Darn...'_ Kagome thought, crestfallen. She copied her mother's heavy sigh as the pair made their way outside to the car.

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_'Dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and slam in the back of my Dragula!'_

_'Dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and slam in the back of my Dragula!'_

Inuyasha felt his eyes droop slightly.

_'Dead I am the rat, feast upon the cat, tender as the fur, dying as you purr.'_

The stretch of pavement ahead passed swiftly under the tires of his truck. He'd thought the loud music would be enough to keep him awake, but it seemed the hole in his shoulder was really beginning to take it's toll on him.

_'Do it baby, do it baby...' _

"Where the fuck has all my energy gone?" the hanyou asked the air around him softly. He held his thirteenth cigarette of the past hour in his left hand while his other gripped the wheel. The smoke floating around him made it difficult to see anything. He knew he was back in town now, though. It would only be a few more minutes until he reached the Hospital.

He knew it was stupid, what he was doing. He knew how much he was risking _again _for the second time that day, only this time it was for a pocket-watch. But what he didn't know was how the _hell_ he was going to go back in that hospital without being seen again.

His head hurt from trying to come up with a better plan than before. But it was a kiss on the cheek compared to the pain searing through his left shoulder. He knew he had lost a lot of blood. If he had been human, he would be dead right now.

He put out the little white stick before tossing it out the window. He glanced over at the medical supplies scattered about on the seat next to him. Maybe he could take care of it now while he drove...

His now free hand reached up and unzipped his jacket, and he couldn't suppress a wince as he shrugged out of it and tossed it in the back seat. He made quick work of taking off his T-shirt, also tossing it over his head. He reached over and grabbed the alcohol bottle, putting the covered end between his teeth and twisting until the cap came off.

His truck abruptly hit a large bump on the road as he did this, and cold, smelly liquid splashed out of the bottle, landing all over the hanyou.

"For _fuck's sake!_" Inuyasha yelled, looking down at his wet lap in annoyance. He still had a half-full bottle in his hands, however.

He muttered a string of swear words as he tipped the container over his shoulder, letting the clear, cool river of alcohol run downward. It stung horribly when it seeped into his wound, and Inuyasha clenched his teeth as hard as he could to keep from crying out in pain. He tossed the now empty bottle back with his clothes and grabbed a bandage.

Using his teeth again to rip it out of it's package and peel it from the paper, he then carefully placed it directly on the stinging bullet wound, pressing around the edges to make sure it would stick. Just as he pulled into the freshly familiar Hospital parking lot he opened the bottle of pain pills and popped seven into his mouth.

"Okay..." Inuyasha said once he'd swallowed the pills. "Here goes nothin'..."

He killed the engine before stepping out of the truck and sauntering over to the entrance. He shivered from the cold air that surrounded him. But he was quickly enveloped in the coziness of the waiting room several moments later.

It was completely dark, but his hanyou eyes could easily pick out his surroundings. He couldn't help but scan the area for people watching, but to his surprise there wasn't a soul around.

He quickly bent down on his hands and knees and peered underneath the rows and rows of chairs. _'Please, please, __**please**__ be here...'_ he mentally begged the gods. His eyes roamed the entire floor carefully, looking for that immortal glimmer of gold.

Nothing.

The hanyou then began sniffing the ground frantically, desperate to find his father's pocket-watch. He crawled around the entire room, taking his sweet time as he snuffled about. He came to an abrupt halt when he caught the watch's scent underneath a particular chair. His brow furrowed in confusion when he smelled the scent of a female mixed in with it.

And then he realized.

It hit him like the crashing wave of a tsunami. Someone had taken it.

Immediatly he straightened, sniffing the air for the female who'd no doubt taken it, before turning around-

-To be met by a pair of curious brown eyes.

Inuyasha froze in place, staring at the bruised little boy standing before him, clutching a pillow. He had a cast on his right leg but he seemed to be managing without crutches. A very, very long moment of staring passed, before the boy suddenly spoke in a rather calm voice.

"You know you're not wearing a shirt, right?"

The hanyou looked down at himself, cursing when he saw how right the kid was. He wanted to slap his forehead for being so oblivious.

He returned his scowl to the boy. "Of course I know that, kid. What's it to ya?" he snapped.

Souta shrugged. "I dunno. Hey, by the way, you look kinda funny. What are you, some kind of clown or something?"

Inuyasha felt his temper rise. "No! I am not a _clown_! Now get outta my way, kid..."

He moved past the boy, sniffing the air urgently. He needed to track the female's scent or he would lose it.

"What are you doing?"

The hanyou growled. "Would you shut it, I'm trying to concentrate here."

Souta looked at the peculiar stranger, cocking his head in confusion. "Are you looking for something?"

He was thoroughly ignored, though. He suddenly noticed the reddening patch on the man's shoulder. "Oh...You must be another patient here..."

Again, ignored.

"Are you from around here?"

Silence.

"You sure don't look like you are..."

The man continued sniffing the air blatantly.

"...Are you from outer Space?"

Inuyasha suddenly turned back to Souta angrily, wanting nothing more that to take that pillow and whack him across the head with it.

"Will you shut the hell up!?"

The boy stared up at him, unblinking for another long moment, but otherwise silent, to the hanyou's relief. Inuyasha turned back around, sighing exasperatedly.

"You do _look_ like an alien, though-"

The older of the two stomped his foot, letting a loud growl of frustration escape his lips.

"That's it, kid! Where's your room?"

"My _name_ is Souta, and it's just down there," Souta pointed down a darkened hallway through a pair of doors.

"Come on, then," Inuyasha grabbed the boy's elbow, pulling him in the pointed out direction. Souta's stiffened, cast-covered right leg dragged as he was pulled away.

"Hey!" he cried in surprise. "Let go!"

"You're too little to be out and about at this hour. And did I mention how fucking annoying you are?" the hanyou said casually as he tugged the boy through the doors with ease.

"I'm twelve years old! I could probably even take _you_!"

Inuyasha had to laugh then, but he had to stop to ask the kid which room was his.

"Ha! As if I'd tell you! You're not my father, I don't take orders from-"

"Kid, if you don't tell me _right now_ you are going to have a _lot_ more to worry about than just that right leg of yours..." he nodded his head toward the injured leg, his face completely serious. Souta scowled and pointed to his room. In a flash he was back in his bed being tucked in. Inuyasha's face dropped visibly when he saw there were no restraints on this bed. He made sure the blankets secured the boy tightly before looking at his face. He asked him a question suddenly.

"Why are you so nosy, kid?"

Souta tried to shrug. "I get like that when I'm bored, I guess."

The hanyou nodded, chuckling lightly. "Well it's not a very appealing trait. Maybe I would have liked you...in another time...with other circumstances..."

He trailed off, gazing off into nothing. Souta frowned, the perfect face of perplexity. "What do you mean? _Other circumstances_?"

It took a second for Inuyasha to hear what the kid had said. He looked down at him and sighed. "Nothing. Never mind. Now get to sleep."

He turned to step out the open door when the boy spoke abruptly. "What's your name?" he heard him say.

Inuyasha looked back, smiling slightly. "Like I said, _Souta_...Other circumstances."

And with that, he was gone.

A/N: Hee hee, don't worry, though. Inuyasha and Kagome will meet! I hope you all enjoyed it. Now, I need to get some more coffee. Cheers.


	5. Chocolate

A/N: I think you'll like this chapter.

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Chapter 5 - Chocolate

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Kagome Higurashi opened her bedroom door, her feet dragging as she went in. She didn't even bother shutting the door behind her, she was far too tired for that. It had been a miracle that she'd been able to get up the stairs.

She closed her eyes and roared out a loud, wide yawn before collapsing onto her bed. The light was off, with just a bedside lamp lit to give the room a dim glow. She didn't even care that she was sleeping in her clothes. All she needed now was rest.

The already half-asleep girl slowly pulled the blankets over her body, and before she slipped into unconsciousness, she held one last thought.

_'What a long day...'_

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He could smell it now. Or rather _her_ now. Very clearly.

He was back in the waiting room, alone, sniffing the air close to the exit. He had the trail. All he had to do now was follow it. He cursed himself for unintentionally distracting himself with that kid, _Souta_, when he should've been focusing on the task at hand. But the only problem now was he would not be able to track the scent within the confines of his truck.

This posed a particular problem... if he was seen now, he'd be reported and he would never get his father's pocket watch back. He made an oath then and there that he would not let that happen, and he was counting on his luck to bring him privacy.

He sauntered outside to the parking lot, bringing his arms up to wrap around his body. The night had begun to get very cold, but he did not have time to retrieve his shirt from the truck.

"Whoever this girl is, she's getting a good _kick_ in the ass for this," the hanyou mumbled furiously as he followed the scent carefully through the lot. He picked up a strong whiff of it in one of the spaces. The smell of the pocket-watch was still connected with it. _'She must've driven off...'_ he calculated in his mind. _'Down... __**that**__ way.' _

He pursued the scent along the road, running with the speed only a half-demon could possess the whole way. He stopped at the end of the road and pointed his nose upward, trying to pick it back up. He found it and made a left down Wine Street.

His shoulder didn't hurt as much as it had these past few hours, so he picked up the pace even more, unafraid of his injury.

The scent of both the watch and the girl was getting increasingly stronger. Inuyasha followed his nose all the way down the Street. He concentrated hard when he neared the end of it. _'Where did you get to...'_

He was at a fork now. The freshness of the scent was disappearing.

He growled in frustration. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he tried once again to pick up that cold, metallic scent of the watch and the flowery odor of the girl. After several minutes of frantic sniffing, he found it floating weakly down the middle of the fork.

He bolted in that direction, rage running through his veins as he ran. _'How dare this wench have the nerve to take what's not hers!'_ he wondered angrily. He was going to take the watch back whether this girl witnessed him do it or not.

He would probably teach her a lesson anyway, and his rational side had been warning him to do no such thing. But he was too far gone now. She would have to pay.

This street seemed to stretch on farther than the others, and he was losing his patience. He had no clue what time it could've been, but it was dark enough out there to be midnight for all he knew. He didn't really care. All he wanted was his pocket-watch back, and he could go back home to his normal life. Or, however normal his life had been when he'd left it.

The scent was stronger than ever now as it hung thick in the air, flowing onwards down the road. Nobody was around, and he thanked his lucky stars. Not only was he still shirtless, but his face had been on 'Missing' flyers posted all around the city for three years now. But now, as he thought about it, he realized that even if someone did happen to see him flash by, he would be moving too fast for them to even catch a glimpse of his distinct features.

Inuyasha came to a steady, slowing jog as he neared the location of the smells. He stopped as he reached the end of the street. There were two ways left now. But the scent was straight ahead.

A concrete wall ran beside the sidewalk in front of him as he stood in the middle of the street. A few feet away there was a break in the wall; hundreds of steps leading up a hill and through a red Shrine Gate of some kind. Up those steps was his target.

He raced over to them, leaping six at a time until he reached the top. The ground was flat, and most of it was concrete like the wall. Multiple sheds and small temples surrounded him as Inuyasha walked on, strangely mesmerized by his surroundings. It was definitely a Shrine of some kind.

A very tall tree stood over to his left, towering over him. It was enclosed in a miniature fence, and a small white sign was erected next to it.

He stopped to look at it. "Goshinboku Tree," the hanyou read aloud. Suddenly something caught his eye. A flicker of light over to his right. He turned quickly, and found himself looking at a house a few yards away, consumed in the shadow of the evergreen trees beside it. One of it's upper windows glowed faintly.

_'Ah-hah...'_ Inuyasha thought wickedly. He'd found her.

Suddenly wild with relief, he leaped over toward the small house, having no trouble with being quiet. He reached the slide-open back door and slid a long, sharp claw in between the door and the edge of the wall, moving his hand downward until he heard the click of the lock unlocking. Silently, he pulled the door over to the left, sliding it open slowly.

Once it was open enough for him to fit in he slipped inside the house, sliding it closed behind him. He found himself in darkness of the kitchen. His aching stomach begged him to go over and raid the fridge, but he squished the urge quickly. _'Not now.'_

He tiptoed forward to the hallway, finding the stairs. He climbed them one step at a time. The watch was close-by. But there was a familiar scent lurking about that he couldn't quite identify...

The golden shimmer of the light in the window lay like a sheet on the floor when he reached the top. It drifted from a room to his left. The door was slightly opened, and he sauntered over to it and pushed it open, stepping inside.

It was no longer quiet. The sound of steady breathing reached his ears, and he looked over at the source of the noise.

It was the girl...Fast asleep.

The hanyou gave her an evil stare before he went about searching her room. The pocket-watch was somewhere in this room… the smell surrounded him.

He opened all of her drawers, pulling out their contents. He went through her bookcase next, finding nothing but various novels. He kneeled and peered underneath her bed, reaching underneath and searching blindly for the watch.

His fingers touched something cold and hard, and he pulled it out, his heart beating wildly. He swore softly when he saw that it was just one of those round pressed powder compacts.

Whoever this girl was, she was quite messy. Even before he'd silently torn her bedroom apart, it had really been a state; papers and books scattered along the floor... clothes and socks splayed all over her dresser and hanging over her chair. "What a slob..." Inuyasha marveled. He sat on his ankles and sniffed the air again. His face leaned in toward the bad, almost touching the girl's back. The hanyou's eyes widened. She had it... right there with her.

_'Great... Just great!'_

Inuyasha sighed exasperatedly, knowing what he must do. He stood and leaned over her, taking a moment to look at her face, which was half-hidden by a curtain of raven black hair. She was as pale as a sheet of paper, and her light skin contrasted brightly against the only visible fan of eyelashes from the hanyou's point of view. Under any other circumstances, he would of thought her a beautiful young woman, but right now he just glared at her, his lip curling. How he wanted to wring that neck of hers...

He pushed the menacing thought away as he leaned over her even further, glancing at her frequently to make sure she was still asleep as his hand slipped underneath the feather blanket. His eyes rested on her closed ones as his fingers ran along her leg, pressing against her pant pocket for anything round. When he didn't find anything there he slid his hand upward, running along her clothed stomach until he reached the top of her purple jacket. He traced her breast pocket, finding nothing.

He went lower, pressing and searching. He reached her side pockets, and his heart did a cartwheel when he felt the familiar contour of his father's pocket watch. He reached into her pocket urgently, but the material of the lining of her jacket blocked him from the wanted item. He growled impatiently and slipped his hand on the inside of her jacket roughly, earning a tired grumble from the girl he leaned over.

He went rigid, freezing in place. His topaz eyes drifted slowly to her own, and to his shock, they were fluttering open, revealing a warm, chocolate brown.

He couldn't move.

Slowly, her lids stopped fluttering, and she met his gaze with a look so innocent that Inuyasha felt a sudden pang of guilt for all the unpleasant thoughts he'd had about her.

But he forgot all about that when he was abruptly kicked off the bed, landing on the floor painfully. In an instant he was back on his feet, marching over to Kagome, who was now scrambling out of her bed. She opened her mouth to scream as she stood, but before she could even take a deep breath, his hand was clamped over her lips with an iron grip. His other arm wound around her waist and turned her around so that her back was pressed tightly against his stomach.

"Okay, wench, listen here," Inuyasha whispered into her ear, praying to the gods that whoever else occupied the house hadn't heard the BANG of his bottom hitting the floor.

The girl in his grasp stomped her foot as hard as she could on top of his. His grip loosened on her as his foot writhed. "Fuck!" he hissed and immediately tightened his arm around her struggling form and clamped his hand harder against her mouth.

Kagome was terrified. What the heck was happening? Was this a dream?

Her dizzy mind swirled from the abrupt wake-up call... she was so tired, and all this sudden adrenaline rushing through her blood was making her stomach turn. She was trembling slightly; her body felt cold and her bones were turning into marshmallows. Her eyes darted quickly around her room, and she noticed how utterly destroyed her room now appeared. Her eyes narrowed in fury. _'Who does this guy think he is to go through my things!'_ she thought, furious. She tried to bite the man's hand but he was holding her mouth shut too tightly.

"Now... as I was saying," Inuyasha began again, panting lightly from all the work he was doing to keep the struggling girl still and quiet. "Just hand it over, and I'll be outta your life before you can say sayonara."

Now Kagome was really confused. _'What on earth is he talking about?!'_

The hanyou elaborated. "I can't get it myself, or you'll scream and run away, ya follow?" He mentally cringed at the mere thought of what her head-splitting screaming would do to his sensitive ears.

The girl's eyes widened in deeper confusion. _'Okay... think, Kagome, think!'_ She tried and tried to come up with a way that she could scream and call out for help or get away, but came up with nothing. She was trapped until this lunatic got whatever he wanted.

Inuyasha squeezed her even tighter, making it exceptionally difficult for the girl to breathe. "I haven't got all night, little girl..." he whispered menacingly. Kagome shook her head rapidly, trying to gasp for air. He loosened his grip, but he had a questioning look on his face now, even though she couldn't see it. She shook her head faster, trying to tell him that she had no clue what he asking her for. He got the message, but laughed quietly instead. "There's no way I'm letting you talk, you'll just scream for help!"

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the tears of frustration, but continued to shake her head.

Inuyasha's patience was slipping away. Why didn't she just reach into her jacket and give it to him?!

"Will you stop wasting my time and just hand the god damn watch over?!" he whispered angrily.

Kagome's eyes went as wide as saucers. She stopped shaking her head, and her body stiffened. Had she forgotten to bring that golden pocket watch up to the desk back at the Hospital like she'd planned to?

"Oops..."

The hanyou felt the muffled vibration of her voice against his palm. _'What did she say?'_

Suddenly the girl was very, very angry. "Ibz dat _it_?!

He heard that.

"What the hell do you mean?! YES that's_ it _now shut up and hand it over!"

Kagome raised her hand and shoved it into the inside pocket of her jacket, muttering something about 'crazy crack pots'.

Her fingers wrapped around the watch, and she instantly regretted ever picking it up. If she'd just left the thing there, then she wouldn't be in this situation like she was.

She let the chain swing as she pulled it out, and a sudden idea popped into her mind. She straightened her arm forward, and just as Inuyasha realized what she was doing, she dropped it.

Inuyasha stared at the watch, his mouth gaping open like a fish. "You -little -bitch!"

He felt the girl smile cockily beneath his fingers, and he gave the top of her head the death stare. _'How DARE she! How am I going to get it now?!'_

He clenched his jaw, and it took all of his willpower not to just release her, grab the watch and get out through the window behind him. He needed to think about this carefully. She had some kind of motive behind dropping his watch...

"Drag it back with your foot, wench..." he whispered urgently, countering whatever her intentions were. He waited for her to either act or try to speak. "NOW," he hissed threateningly. "The sooner you do, the sooner I'll be gone and out of your room, out of your life. Now drag it back over."

Kagome pondered this for a moment. She'd figured that if she dropped it, he'd release her to grab it and she'd have a chance to scream for her mom or Grandpa. She couldn't take much more of this. Perhaps it was a good idea to listen to the creep...

Her impatient side got the best of her and she obeyed his command, stretching her leg out until her foot covered the small golden item. She dragged it back slowly and carefully, until it was back within reaching distance.

"Now... let's bend over, shall we?" the hanyou ground out.

Kagome sighed, not wanting to do such a thing, but she was willing enough if he would leave afterwards. So she complied silently when he started bending forward. She followed his movement, tipping her torso forward. He crouched suddenly, almost knocking her to ground. She was practically attached to him, so she abruptly crouched too, letting a muffled yelp of surprise escape her lips. She turned her eyes heavenward, and she had a strong urge to jump up and hit his chin with the top of her head. But she stifled it and concentrated instead on steadying herself on her ankles.

Inuyasha easily shifted himself into a kneeling position. She was low enough now to reach it. "Grab it and hand it over."

She reached out with a stiff arm and curled her fingers around the thin chain, before picking it up and bringing it upward to the hand clamped over her mouth. He carefully took it, and he felt a blissful security wash over him as he did. He stared at it, and for a wild moment he wanted to kiss it. But he brought himself back to his current situation.

This girl...

She was very still now. He knew she was waiting for him to release her and leave.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach when he realized that he had no clue what to do with her. Would she report this to the police? Would she be able to identify him?

_'Feh, of course she will!'_ he thought, the answer becoming obvious. Was he willing to go back home and be plagued by the worry that the search for Inuyasha Takema could be back on?

He shut his eyes, trying to think of what he was supposed to do about this.

Kagome frowned and tried to turn her head to look back at him. He was too silent. What was he waiting for? _'Just get lost already!'_

_'There's no way in hell she won't tell anyone about this,'_ Inuyasha began weighing his options. _'I could kill her...'_

He mentally shook his head, knowing that would only cause even more problems for him. But he couldn't leave her here, not with all the risks it posed. She _would_ run screaming to her daddy the second that he was gone and they'd all call the cops. She _would_ be able to identify him.

He'd be searched for once again, after all these years of silence, and he'd be living in fear of being found again. He didn't have enough money to buy a plane ticket. He'd be stuck here, and he'd be found in no time. He just couldn't have that happen. He _wouldn't_.

The girl in his arms wiggled a little bit, trying to tell him that it was time for him to go. "Wot er yoo doing? Will yoo dust leabv?!"

Inuyasha opened his eyes and peered down at the girl. It was decided.

In the blink of an eye his hand had shot up in the air and grabbed the lamp by her table. She didn't even have time to move before his arm crashed back down, the lamp shattering against her skull. She gasped in pain, before she felt her body go limp, and everything was dark.

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A/N: Dun dun dun...


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